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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · chair · scale · deal · ground · bowl

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ground — the earth
  6. scale — size or range
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. scale — in music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. fork — in a road
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fork — a garden tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com